


fathers

by gotham_ruaidh



Series: Gotham Writes for Imagine Claire & Jamie [91]
Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-19 01:48:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15499608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gotham_ruaidh/pseuds/gotham_ruaidh
Summary: Jamie gains a new appreciation for Frank when he sees him through Bree’s eyes





	fathers

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted at [ on tumblr](https://imagineclaireandjamie.tumblr.com/post/176410463896/jamie-gains-a-new-appreciation-for-frank-when-he)

Brianna frowned, watching her mother huff as she hoisted stones and stumps to form a border for her new garden.

“Should I say something? I mean, she’s already re-arranged everything at least twice in the past two days…”

Beside her, Jamie sighed. “Dinna bother, lass. Ye dinna want to get in yer Mam’s way, when her mind’s set to something.”

Bree snorted. “If I had a dollar for every time Daddy said that to me when I was growing up…”

Jamie turned, ruddy brows raised at the sudden, unexpected reference to Frank Randall. “What do ye mean?”

Now Bree sank onto one of the stumps that Claire hadn’t claimed – left over from the dozen or so logs Jamie had felled to help build the new Big House. “It was almost like a running joke between the two of us. Daddy was a hard worker, to be sure – but he worked in a different way than Mama. Or me, for that matter. Mama…well, you know that she’s like a dog with a bone. Once she decides she wants something, or wants something to be a certain way, that’s all she thinks about.”

“Aye. She was like that when we were marrit, before. And I think it’s even more so, now.”

“When I was little, even though she was really busy with school or later when she worked at the hospital, she always insisted that I dress a certain way. That I do certain activities outside of school. That I do my homework, and read books, and all sorts of things. That everything in the house had to be organized in a very particular way.” She dug her toe into the carpet of soft leaves. “Sometimes I resented her for it.”

Jamie thought for a moment before answering, eyes focused on the dense trees at the other side of the clearing, mind full of reluctant gratitude for the man he would never meet – the man whose shadow still loomed at the corners of his mind. Claire said he had never understood her – and perhaps he hadn’t. But the man clearly hadn’t been an idiot…and after all, he had had the keeping of his daughter for more than sixteen years…

“Because it felt like she was telling ye what to do? Aye, I understand.”

A string of muffled curses floated over from the general direction of Claire’s garden.

“But Daddy always agreed with her. Even when I’d ask him to ask her to stop, or to back me up when I didn’t want to do something.”

“Did ye understand why?”

“Not at the time, no. But now – now with Jem and Mandy, I do understand. And do you know what, Da?”

He smiled down at his daughter – his improbable miracle. “What, _mo chridhe_?”

“I realized that I’ve turned into my mother. But I don’t mind it at all. Because I want the very best for them.”

Jamie kissed Brianna’s forehead, heart bursting with pride. “Come wi’ me? Let’s help yer Mam afore she ruptures herself. Stubborn woman.”

Bree rose. “But you wouldn’t change a thing, would you, Da?”

His laugh rang across the clearing – and Claire’s head shot up, instantly smiling.

“Do ye think she would let me, _a nighean_?”


End file.
